Briefly thought that was K9 in the foreground at the start. I need a break.

Happy Tolkien Reading Day (Apparently this is a thing)

Morning quote from my younger daughter: "You know you'd get more likes and follows if your content wasn't so boring. You should get a social media cat and visit castles with it, that'd get you more likes." Ouch... But she ain't wrong about the cat!

The tree has been decorated. Bohemian waxwings. 🪶

W. C. Fields plays pool in one of his best skits, consisting mostly of not playing pool. From Six of a Kind (1933), in which he plays Honest John, a Nevada town's crooked sheriff.

Five likes = not a complete waste of an hour like some people said 🙏🙌

Launched this week and they're repeating words already!

A.I. art will never happen

PERSISTENCE (Anagrammed Lines) How can I persist in a script whose actions whisper? How can I persist now spirits ache?

where will we meet now?

It’s not tradition, it’s marketing

European seeing yet another meme about Europeans being asked to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

Nightjars are a 4:3 bird accidentally displayed in 16:9

Red fox

I set today's cryptic crossword in The Independent as Deri. Get a shirt undone – one buttoned-up (5-4) Weak and ultimately disappointing cup of tea (5) Free to play at: puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...

I set today's Sunday Telegraph prize Toughie: www.telegraph.co.uk/puzzles/ Here, secured by sailor on bow of clipper, is one of two anchors (10) 'Poker Face', absolutely rubbish (7)

I set today's Daily Telegraph prize crossword: www.telegraph.co.uk/puzzles/ VAT troubles for movie (9,4) Beatles song, or one from The Tourists? (3,7) My 100th Telegraph cryptic.

Too-Rye-A-I

Haven't written my book yet, but the blurb endorsements are done. “Hugely readable, a regular dinner party guest of mine.” “The prose is masterly, I’m godmother to his niece.” “Delightful from start to finish, which is also what he wrote about my last book.” (I added the bits others leave out.)

Canada lynx kitten

Grey wolves howling

Canada lynx

INTERSTELLAR WILD (Anagrams) We speak of the interstellar wild like we aren’t part of it. She dwells in we who still sparkle—a fettered, skeletal star. We flow in her tepid earth, like weeds, patterns of will personified. We talk, shatter well— written like Death’s pale flowers.

Also a nice gateway into revisiting Rod Stewart's back catalogue: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqbW...

Classic Bob & Ray in 1977. Sketch first performed in 1952. www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2g_...

This MailOnline headline generator is a lot of fun.

Folks often ask how to set a themed crossword, so here’s a simple guide:

Oh... I'm watching this tonight but was already a little wary having read a couple of 3-star reviews that were essentially 2-star for content + 1-star for Macca and his family values. A dog with a spade:

Absolutely sick and tired of these irresponsible idiots.

Unches up the ying-yang and I don't have a smartphone to see the solutions. #NotACrossword

I set today's Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword www.telegraph.co.uk/puzzles Spell "exaggerate" (7) Catching bouquet easily? (5-5)

Crossword setter problems, no. 27: Your relief at finally writing the last clue is shattered by the realisation that your puzzle has 'perhaps' 14 times and s for son twice. #niche

Clue of the week in The Week magazine has let itself go.

Just stumbled across this view of Chepstow Castle in Google maps - the shadow cast over the River Wye is magnificent! Originally known as Castle Striguil, seat of the Lordship of Striguil, it might sound like the name of a vampire`s lair, but the word likely comes from the Welsh for a river bend.

Just more bears living in the moment and vandalising a trail camera, not a mobile phone in sight.

Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller February 13,1961

MUM: What's wrong, Stan? You ain't eaten your fry-up STAN: Blimey mum, I'm an actor, comedian and pianist, but every time my mush pops up all people mention is that bleedin' cash machine ARTHUR: Serves you right OLIVE: Arthur, don't be mean! BLAKEY [face at window] Who's driving the Number 11 then?

THE DESERT (Palindrome) Moody, burned dust…. Oh, still aerify! My ravine defoliated, dim, its mirage bit. Sure no bliss of pools to order, still its red roots loop fossil bone. Rust, I beg a rim’s timid detail of Eden. I vary my fire: All its hot, sudden, ruby doom.

The meanest Valentine’s Day trick

I don't appear in any of these Bluesky maps so have regrettably come to the conclusion that I am dead.

This one will take up far too much of your time: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...; and this one won't take up enough: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_...

THE YETI SPEAKS (whose two halves use the same letters, in the same order):

I set today's Sunday Telegraph prize Toughie www.telegraph.co.uk/puzzles Leaflet saying “Spades and Cutting Tools” (8,4) Dig near fragments in settlement on the Thames (7)

I set today's Daily Telegraph cryptic crossword www.telegraph.co.uk/puzzles/ Estate should get you this money upfront for boat journeys (4,1,2,1) Nervous feeling when twerp mends shoes for Spooner (12)

🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪 Testing 🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪🤪 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡